Flue cleaning apparatus



June 1959 J, c. CHEADLE 2,891,268

FLUE CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fjg; 5

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INVENTOR. I JOSEPH C. CHEADLE 27 \\ll\llllllllllllllllllll ll" n/nuuumIHIIIIIIH I [HI/II ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1959 ice FLUE CLEANINGAPPARATUS Joseph C. Cheadle, Portland, Greg. Application July 3, 1957,Serial No. 669,741

Claims. (Cl. 15104.2)

The present invention relates to flue cleaning apparatus and moreparticularly to devices adapted for cleaning boiler fines.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanicallyoperated reciprocating ramrod for the cleaning of fines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanically operatedreciprocating ramrod, flexible throughout the greater portion of itslength. By having a flexible ramrod a minimum of operating space isrequired beyond the fines of boilers and the like. In many places thespace beyond the boiler flues is limited, therefore with a flexibleramrod, this difliculty is overcome.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a supportingstand or tripod for supporting a power mechanism and ramrod in alignmentwith the boiler fines having means for raising and lowering the ramrodand for moving the same in a transverse direction.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, inwhich: t

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention arranged in operatingposition with respect to a boiler, with parts of the boiler being brokenaway for convenience of illustration.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of the brush carryingend of the ramrod.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the power operatingmechanism for the ramrod, with parts broken away for convenience ofillustration.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken onthe line 7-7 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several figures, the referencecharacter B illustrates a conventional boiler of the type that myimproved cleaning apparatus is adapted to clean. In Figures 1 and 2,parts of the boiler B are broken away for convenience of illustration.

The cleaning apparatus generally includes an adjustable tripod assemblyT for supporting a ramrod operating power mechanism P. The tripod Tincludes a triangular base 10 supported upon a pair of caster wheels 11and a caster wheel 12. The caster wheel 12 is mounted for verticaladjustment on the base 10 by a bracket 13 to adjust the level of thetripod T to correspond to the supporting surface 14, which may notalways be level.

Extending upwardly from the base 10 is a threaded post 15. Adjustablyand telescopically mounted on the post 15 is a tubular post 16 on whichis fixedly mounted a pair of vertically spaced parallel transverse rails17.

is wrapped around a drum 35 of the winch 31.

The rails 17 are joined together by cross members 18 extendingvertically therebetween and are braced to the tubular post 16 by gussetplates 19 welded therebetween. The rails 17 are braced by brackets 21,adjustably secured to the brackets 22 forming part of the rails 17 atone end and adjustably secured to the face 20 of the boiler B at theother end. This assembly provides a' rigid support for the powermechanism P in the following manner.

A carriage 23 operates on the rails 17 on flanged wheels 24 journalledto the carriage 23 on stub shafts 25. This arrangement supports thecarriage 23 and permits transverse movement of the same between therails 17, moving the power mechanism P transversely of boiler tubes 26.

The power mechanism P for operating a flexible cleaning ramrod 27includes a base frame 28 mounted on a post 29. The post 29 operateswithin' a tubular guide 30 carried by the carriage 23 as bestillustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The post 29 is raised and lowered by awinch 31. A cable 32 is secured to the reduced end 33 of the post 29 at34. The opposite end of the cable 32 The drum 35 is rotated by a crank36 and is held in a fixed position by any usual means generallyassociated with winches (not shown).

The object of reducing the size of the end 33 of the post 29 is to beable to apply an extension post 37 indicated by broken lines in Figure 1in cases where the boiler B is of a higher elevation than that shown.

The power mechanism P has a superstructure 38 mount ed upon the base 28.This superstructure 38 supports a motor 39 and a gear reduction box 40.Guide sheaves 41 are journalled on transverse shafts 42, which are inturn mounted within pillow blocks 43 fixedly secured to the base 28. Thesheaves 41 guide the flexible ramrod 27 through the power unit P. Theramrod 27 is moved in either direction by driving sheaves 44 and 44'keyed respectively to the transverse shafts 45 the lower one of which isjournalled within bearings 46 fixedly secured to the base 28.

The sheave 44' is driven in either direction by a chain 47 extendingfrom the gear box 40. The sheave 44 is driven in either direction by achain 48 extending from the gear box 40. Both sheaves 44 and 44' aredriven in a direction to operate together in moving the ramrod 27therethrough.

The shaft 45 of the sheave 44 is journalled within bearings 46' whichforms part of a pivotally mounted arm 49. The arm 49 is pivotallymounted to a cross shaft 50 mounted within the superstructure frame 38.An adjustment screw 51 operating against a base member 52 applies thedownward pressure to the sheave 44' against the ramrod 27 to the desiredpressure to move the ramrod 27 back and forth.

Fixedly secured to the base frame 28 are limit switches 53 and 54. Abrush 55 is secured to a rigid portion 56 of the flexible ramrod 27,referring particularly to Figure 5, by any suitable means including thelock nut 57. The object of the rigid portion 56 is to maintain the brush55 in alignment with the opening of the tubes 26 while being withdrawnfrom the end of the tube 26 by the power mechanism P. An adjustableswitch operating cam 58 is fixedly secured to the ramrod 27, as bestillustrated in Figures 1 and 6.

I will now describe the operation of this new and improved flue cleaningapparatus. The device is moved to a position in front of the boiler B,the brackets 21 are fixedly secured to the face 20 of the boiler B bybolts 20'. The power mechanism P is then raised to either the top orbottom rows of the tubes 26 to either one side or the other, aligningthe brush 55 of the ramrod 27 with the first selected tube 26. The motor39 is started 26 in question;

When the brush 55 leaves the tube 26 it WillStIikB 011 arm 53' of thelimit switch 53, stopping and'reversi'n'g" the motor 39 so as to reenterthe brush 55 and ramrod 27 for as many cycles as is desired. Themanual'switch can be operated to stop the motor 39 While the operatormoves the carriage 23 the distance of one tube 26' to either the rightor left, depending upon Which-direction he is operating; starting themotor 39 again manually will cause the same to clean the next tube 26automatic'ally, as above described.

When the end of the row of tubes 26 have been I reached, the operatorwill lower the power mechanism. P

to the next row of tubes 26 below, repeatin'g the same operationtransversely ofthis' row of tubes 26.

The end 59 of the ramrod 27 is held from extending longitudinally of themachine by a spring 60. This causes a loop to form in the rod 27, asbest illustrated in Figure 1-,prev'enting the end of the rod 27 fromextending horizontally, striking an obstruction or a person.

An electric control switch box indicated by broken lines 6'1 may beprovided for the necessary manual switches (not shown), and when used ismounted at'any'convenient location on the carriage 23. I

Having thus described the preferrede'mbodiment of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of theappende'd claims.

What is claimedis: V

1. Apparatus for cleaning the fines of a conventional furnace of thetype having limited clearance at the end thereof comprising a wheeledbase having a substantially vertical rod projecting substantiallycentrally upwardly therefrom, a tubular member having one of its endstelescoped over the upper end of said rod for vertical adjustmentthereon, means securing said tubular member in vertically adjustedposition on said rod, a pair of horizontal rails extending transverselyof said tubular member and secured thereto in vertically spaced parallelsuperposed position, a carriage, wheels on said carriage engaging saidrails for guiding said carriage in transverse movement between saidrails, a tubular guide secured to said carriage having the axis thereofparallel to the axis of said rod, said tubular guide having its axismovable with said carriagein a vertical plane which intersects saidwheel base adjacent its center, a post extending through said tubularguide, means on said carriage for moving said post vertically in saidtubular guide, an elongated cleaning implement, and means on the upperend of said post for reciprocating said cleaning implement transverselywith respect to said post and with respect to" said rails.

2; A device as'claim'edin claim 1 wherein said clean-- ing implementcomprises an elongated flexible ramrod, and themeansj for moving saidramrod comprises a plurality of guide rollers 1 and a pair of oppositelydisposed drive rollers supported on said post.

3. A device as claimedin claim 2 wherein means are provided onsaidflexible rarnrod drive means for limiting the movement of said ramrodwith respect to said post. 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid cleaning implement is provided with a circular brush detaehablysecured to the outer end thereof.

5. A device as'claimed in claim 2 wherein said drive rpllers areprovided with means for adjusting the tension therebetweento vary thedriving grip of said rollers with said flexible. ramrod;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS977,411 Lewis a- Nov. 29, 1 910 1,476,901 McCarty Dec. 11, 19232,789,296 Cheadle Apr; 23', 1957

